


Strike

by kittybenzedrine



Series: Timelines [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Minor Violence, mentioned mental illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 10:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12079023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittybenzedrine/pseuds/kittybenzedrine
Summary: They say words cut deeper than any knife can. Grief knows this well, and Ren makes a grievous mistake._____All pieces of the Timelines series are standalones and can be read without context.





	Strike

"She wouldn't be dead if it weren't for you."

Ren knows there's something wrong with her head. She can't control her emotions, and especially not the rage which is the most plentiful of her feelings. Sometimes, when Ren gets like this, she says things to make sure they hurt. She regrets them later, sure, but not in the moment when she says it. She doesn't know why she does it.

Words hurt, she knows that much. Ren was 14 when they told her that her first love had died unexpectedly, just weeks before they planned to marry. They were young, sure, but now at about 150 years old, she has no doubt they'd still be married if he hadn't died. And those words had cut her deep.

Grief was her second love. It took her nearly 90 years to open her heart to anyone, but maybe that's because she never felt anyone was good enough for her. She was Grief's second as well. His first love had died somewhere around the time Ren herself had been born.

She was a beautiful woman. Truly comparable to a goddess. Ethereal beauty, captured forever in a portrait that still hung in Grief's home. Ren loved to look at her, with her crystal blue eyes and long, flowing blonde locks. She only ever saw true sorrow in his eyes whenever he spoke of her.

And she had just told Grief that she would be alive if not for him.

It's technically not a lie, and they both know it. His first love died as a direct result of him, though it wasn't on purpose. But Ren wanted to hurt him, and fuck if she didn't just manage it.

She can see it as his vision goes red. Ren is not a light woman, not by a long shot, but he strides forward and lifts her by the throat as if she weighs nothing. He gives a solid squeeze as he walks, her vision blackening on the edged. Grief slams her back into the wall and squeezes her throat tighter and tighter until she's sure he's going to crush her windpipe. Just as she feels the tips of his long nails begin to dig into her skin, he releases her.

Ren coughs and crumples to the floor, holding her bruising throat. Grief bares his teeth at her.

"Leave," he hisses in a cold, angry tone. "Gather all of your things and leave. If I ever see you here again, I'll kill you where you stand."

She shows her teeth right back, ready to get into a screaming match. He reaches for his hip, however, and pulls his knife. Daring her to do something. She knows him well enough to know he'll have no hesitation in ending her right there on the floor of their bedchambers.

When she stays on the floor, choosing only to glare, he leaves and slams the door behind himself. She's gone by the time he comes back that evening to retire to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I have [my blog](http://iwillpooponthefloor.tumblr.com) on tumblr, if you'd like to check that out.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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